The sixth edition of the De Proef Brewmaster’s Collaboration Series is our first blended beer. Legendary brewer, Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog joins Dirk Naudts at De Proef to create this unique bottle conditioned beer. Flanders Fred is a blend of Flanders-sourced lambic with a collaboratively-brewed version of the famous Hair of the Dog Fred.

The result is a deep golden ale topped with a creamy off white head. The nose is complex with notes of lemon, pine, tropical fruits and spice. The palate is rich and layered with toffee, apricot and almond, balanced by some green apple, a hoppy bitterness and barnyard funk.

Please enjoy Flanders Fred with food and friends. This beer should pair very well with many cheeses, roasted vegetables and grilled meats. We believe this bottle will continue to evolve beautifully over the next few years, adding a subtle blending of the flavors.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and slightly funky with some fruity and vinegar aromas. Taste is much the same with an acidic finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is super tasty and easy to drink. Definitely a winner with the blend of the two beers that make up this one. (540 characters)

A: The beer is relatively clear orange amber in color and has the faintest hint of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin beige head that died and left some lacing on the surface and down the sides of the glass plus a thin collar.S: There are light to moderate aromas of sour cherries and oak in the nose.T: The taste is similar to the smell and has tart flavors of sour cherries as well as some hints of sweetness.M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation. The finish has lots of lingering dryness and tartness.O: The oak barrel aging makes this beer very interesting because the oaky and dry flavors contrast with the sourness and cherry flavors, making this very drinkable. Considering its strength, only hints of alcohol are present. (836 characters)

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with an impressive head; nice squiggly patterns of lace are left behind

Smell: Tart lacto with berry yogurt from De Proef that is buttressed by the strong toffee base from the Fred

Taste: Fred faces forward, on the front, end with the toffee and Belgian yeast strain; by mid-palate, however, the lacto, berry and green apple flavors start to balance and then overcome the caramel; in the finish, there is a strong sense of vanilla and oak

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: I like both of the base beers I am tasting but I am struggling with the blend; still, a very interesting effort, but the vanilla and the sour flavors don't mesh for me (722 characters)

total oddball and not at all familiar. pours hazy copper to light red in color with an inch or so of persistent off white foam. the nose is almost like a sour, smell some funky yeast, brett maybe, and a lot of red malt, very appetizing. the flavor starts off nice enough, not really sour at all, but yeasty, spicy, and enjoyable. then something weird happens though, the beer just sort of runs out of flavor midway through. like, right where the flavors should be climaxing, they disappear. it just sort of creams out, there is no finish at all, its just gone before its swallowed. never had that happen before, and it prolongs a little bit once it comes up to room temperature, but where is the back end of this beer?! fine feel, a little thicker and sweeter from the red malt addition, and the carbonation is great. very alive. it does have a bit of a funny belly though, and sort of sits weird in me, churning the stomach around a little. sort of vinegary in there, not breaking down real well. in any event, this was a letdown for me. overpriced and esteemed beyond the reality. passable though, just not sensational. (1,121 characters)

Pours a hazy orange/amber color with a sticky white head. Some acetic sourness, cherry, and a nice lactic note. There is a fair amount of oak, some grass, and a bit of lemon peel. A touch of fruity sweetness. The flavor is quite tart, maybe a bit on the acetic side. Red wine vinegar, leather, some oak, and a hint of cherry. A little bit of lemon and lemon peel. Light malt and fruit sweetness in the background. Just a hint of straw and grass in there too. (458 characters)

Gotta love the Rare Beer Club for giving me the opportunity to give this collaborative effort a go. Sounded pretty interesting from their newsletter's description. It pours a mostly clear sunrise garnet-amber topped by a finger or so of glowing off-white foam. The nose comprises mildly tart cherry, light oak, brown sugar, cinnamon, very light tart lemon bubbling in every now and again, and a general suspicion of maple syrup. The taste opens with a brightly, yet not harshly, lactic- and acetic-sour cherry character. While this is maintained throughout, it is visited on various, non-sequential occasions by vanilla, oak, clove, brown sugar, light maple syrup, vague Belgian yeast, and sweet flowers. The always-balanced complexity is literally eyebrow-raising. Seriously, my brows went straight up in quiet, restrained amazement. Damn tasty. The body is a flexible medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly slick feel. Overall, a damn good, well-balanced, surprisingly deep beer. Good times all around. (1,054 characters)

I had this on-tap at Capone's during their Black Friday event. Served in a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy reddish amber color with a layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the pour.

Smell: I'm getting a sweet malt note with some tartness in the background. Hints of vinegar and red berries along with a mild green apple smell.

Taste: This one is quite tart, but lighter than I expected. The green apple taste is more prevalent than the note in the smell. I'm also getting some vinegar and a mild brown sugar note from the malt. The finish is quite tart. Overall I'd say this beer is quite complex.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Much lighter and easier to drink than I expected. I enjoyed the green apple note. I'd definitely think about having more. (840 characters)

Darker amber pour with a small, bubbly, white head that receded to a ringlet; little dabs of lacing. Aroma of Belgian yeast, fruity esters, fairly acidic notes, distant malt sweetness. More of this in the taste, a bit of puckering tartness up front, malic/acetic/citric acid notes, bringing in doses of apple/vinegar/lemon, with a malty and sugary sweetness taking the edge off and giving a sense of balance; secondary flavors of yeast and wood. Medium body, moderately low carbonation, with a finish that's more mellow than crisp/tart. Pretty nice overall. (604 characters)

A - Very pale for a Flanders Red, but I see this is listed as a Belgian Pale so I guess that makes more sense. White foam settles to a wispy partial cap, thicker collar, and plenty of lacework. Lightly hazed dark orange-yellow body.

S - The smell is immediately recognizable as De Proef, with the assertive house yeast and an almost savory vinegar sauce acidity to it. There's a mix of sweeter malts, spicy esters, and light tart lemon. I'm surprised by the intensity of acetic flavors though, although apparently this has Flanders-brewed 'lambic' and not authentic Flanders Red in it.

T - The taste is intriguing, with a near-equal De Proef and Hair of the Dog presence. The spicy and fruity Fred flavors are present mid-palate, but are preceded by sourness and wet oak flavors. There's a hint of cocoa and candi sugar late, as well as some cake-like flavors and a touch of phenolic Belgian yeast. Odd that that the sourness doesn't show up in the finish - there's just stomach-churning acidity after swallowing.

M - Definitely a bigger beer, with more substance and heft that you'd expect from a 7.5% beer. Medium-full body, with lower but present carbonation. Some tannic dryness even though the oak flavors don't manifest strongly. As mentioned, there's some acidity but not a ton of alcohol warmth.

D - Odd beer, although it won me over during the course of the glass. Seems more like a straight-up blend of two disparate beers than a Flanders Red. Definitely a slower sipper and not something I'd want often, but complex and fairly interesting. Mildly reminiscent of some BFM beers I've had but not as sour. (1,663 characters)

t - Tastes of lemons, tart fruits, vinegar, sweet apples and fruity malts, oak, earthy notes, dirt. A little sweeter than the nose. Good but I like the nose a little bit better.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation, and somewhat acidic.

o - Overall a pretty nice beer and glad I was able to try it. I like normal Fred better, even though these are much different beers. There is some nice tartness and vinegar to it, and some sweet fruit in the taste. Worth checking out, would have it again. (834 characters)

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 4/10/2014. Pours fairly hazy reddish orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of green apple, cherry, cranberry, pear, grape, herbal, clove, pepper, oak, candi sugar, light vinegar, funk, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast esters with funk and moderate malts; and good strength. Taste of big tart cherry, cranberry, green apple, pear, grape, herbal, clove, caramel, candi sugar, oak, funk, vinegar, toast, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy/fruity tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark and light fruits, herbal, clove, pepper, candi sugar, oak, funk, vinegar, toast, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity and balance of malt and fruity/spicy yeast flavors with moderate funk; and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, slick, and moderately acidic mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent blended Flanders Red style! All around awesome balance and complexity of tart fruity/spicy esters with malt; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering. (1,383 characters)

750ml corked and caged offering into a snifter. The brew appears a clear copper color with a slight off-white froth that is 2 fingers strong and quite silky looking. A full wall of lace sticks to the glass and a swirl revives a finger of yellowish froth back to the surface.

The aroma includes noted of pear and apple and other faintly indistinguishable fruity aspects. A bit like cider at times and an acedic smelling touch with a biscuit grain backing that comes out a bit.

The taste is tart and lemony blending to a bit of apple cider. The bready grain backing is present like the nose suggests along with a bit of an unwelcomed addition of minerals and fruity alcohol tang.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Overall not horrible but a little lackluster and not really what I was expecting. It is neither fred nor a flanders in the traditional sense but seemingly caught somewhere half-assed between the 2. I am glad I have another bottle of this to revisit sometime but admittedly I am in no hurry to have this again...yet. (1,062 characters)

Flanders Fred is a golden color with some light orange infused. I thought I would get some redness with the flanders in the name, like a bruin or something, much lighter than expected. A nice amount of off white foam up top that clangs to the glass. Some sour scents with big Belgian yeast scent rising with the temp. Some apple, apricot and a funky scent from the lambic base. Subtle spice and a malt base budging out a sweet scent in the end. This is interesting beer.I get more of fred than the lambic, but the mix leads a certain tangy taste in the finish. Some rye, clove, tropic fruit, apricot, cinnamon before that. How did they make a 7.5% BSPA out of a 10% strong ale? Feel is medium with a bite of carb and a mix of tangy and sweet. Maybe some time in the bottle will make things integrate better, although it's pretty great now. Hopefully I can find a bottle of this stuff. (911 characters)

An absolutely gorgeous beer. An orb glowing reddish tangerine body hits the glass filling with dollops of off tan/white creamy head. Head blows up like cream, settling like a rock with huge clumps of lacing. There are classic white microscopic bubbles crawling, I mean achingly crawling up the side of my glass, it's as if they are going through molasses. Clumps of lacing hit my glass, rings and sheets everywhere. Absolutely gorgeous.

Palate hits with a mild wetness, but a solid malt backbone. The feel on this is fine, but it's the only noticeable thing on the beer that seems to not be grand. Everything else though is just spot on. Juicy palate fills with a light nectarine and cherry/lemon sourness with a mild toned down sense. There is a big lingering sourdough bread density finish a wonderful aftertaste. It doesn't even feel like there is any alcohol in this at all. More and more lemon bursts from this as it warms, and hints of black pepper. Carbonation seems to be barely noticeable, but tolerable and nowhere near jarring or distracting.

This is one collaboration from De-Prouf I can put my money on. I feel like I could drink gallons of this stuff. Excellent brew. (1,433 characters)

Pours a very cloudy, pale orange color with tangerine edges and a one finger, frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Streaks of soapy lace left behind.

Earthy barnyard aroma with a musty brett presence and lots of horsey funk along with acetic vinegar and citrus acidity. There's a very strong lemon juice character along with some musty hay, lactic funk and earthy oak. The lambic notes are prominent but the don't overpower the golden ale characteristics.

Tart and puckering with some sour acidity but it's not harsh at all. Very refreshing with earthy oak, musty brett and other bugs. Again, there's a really strong citrus/lemon juice presence along with some grapefruit and other tropical notes. Slight creaminess with lactic and barnyard funk balancing things out. Underneath, there is some light fruit sweetness, subtle peppery spice and sourdough bread flavor. Very faint acetic vinegar presence lingering in the finish. This beer is blended with lambic from the Flanders region but it's very delicate and not as aggressive as a typical Belgian sour. It kind of reminds me of a bretted saison just a bit more tart. (1,208 characters)

Nose is sweet and sour... fruity and a nice mix of fruits... oranges and underripe plums.. malt vinegar and tannic fruits.

Flavor has the similar elements.. a bit of red currant.. red grape skins with a slightly malty undertone.. lactic and sorta sweetness that definitely reminds me of Fred... lemony with some cherry notes... liking it.

Body is about medium.. with the same carbonation... a bit gassy though.. no real EtOH... decent brew, I hope I can score a few more before the stock dries up.

Poured into a Unibroue tulip. Pours a clear orange amber. One finger off-white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of light fruit, citrus, Belgian spicing and mild malt. Flavor is dominated by tart cherry, apple and citrus. Light earthy and light fruit flavors develop, finishing tart with a distinct acetic acid aftertaste, a hint of funk. This is nicely complex, but I'm having a really hard time detecting the Fred under the Flanders fruit and tartness. There is a hint of sweetness and citrus that is reminiscent of Fred. My tastes would have leaned towards more Fred than Flanders, but I still enjoyed this well made collaboration. The flavor complexity and depth carry it through. Light to medium body with pleasant carbonation. (746 characters)

Appearance: rich, deep golden hue with plenty of haze to the body and two thick fingers of creamy deep-ivory foam. Head retention is wonderful and a nice, chunky lace is left on the glass as I drink. Beautiful.

Smell: tart lactic aroma, with a little bit of a chalky, sweet malt underneath. The lambic portion of this brew really comes to the forefront in the aroma. I like it.

Taste: tartness right off the bat which is quickly ameliorated by a smoother maltiness. The dampened tartness remains through the end, though, and it really makes for a wonderful drinking experience. Some of the more subtle malty character gets lost in the tartness, but I find the overall combination to be quite tasty indeed.

750ml bottle, corked and caged (plastic cork), #6 in the series. From the name I expected a Flanders Red but that's not quite what this is. I actually liked this quite a bit more than any Flemish Reds I've had in the recent past. Apparently a version of Fred blended with a Flanders sour ale.

To start with this beer is gorgeous. It pours a clear copper color, really effervescent with lots of bubbles rising through the liquid. And a rocky head of foam that never quits.

This beer has an authentically Belgian aroma, sweet and lactic with all the malty depth you'd expect from Hair of the Dog. I'm reminded of some of the better Rodenbach creations, this has a LOT of promise.

The flavor follows through, I am really impressed with this beer. It starts with a tart bite and some sour fruit (cherry/plum), then turns to nice malty sweet and sour aftertaste. This is exactly as advertised, knowing the constituent beers in advance makes it very easy to peg the tastes in the blend. Excellent stuff, a perfect marriage.

Smooth body given all the carbonation, redolent. Outstanding really. I only saw one bottle of this on one shelf in Columbus, now I really wish I could easily find more. I'll be on the search for it. (1,220 characters)